1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to, in general, a flatware processing system in commercial food service for pre-soaking and washing of flatware. More specifically, the invention concerns a pre-soaking unit suitable for use in combination with a dishwashing machine, and a basket of particular construction for the holding of flatware in the dishwashing machine during washing and rinsing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common practice for those who eat out in commercial food service operations, e.g., restaurants, cafes, diners, at banquets, dinner meetings, etc. to encounter soiled flatware, i.e., knives, forks, and spoons. While the diner's complaint may result in embarrassment to the eating establishment, the soiled flatware also indicates an unsanitary situation.
Although there are a number of reasons for soiled flatware, including lack of proper attention by bus-boys, dishwashers, etc., the primary reasons involve the manner in which flatware is now pre-soaked, if at all, and then loaded into the dishwashing machine.
In general, pre-soaking of flatware, where this practice is followed at all, prior to loading the flatware into a dishwashing machine, merely involves tossing soiled flatware into a flat pan or the like containing water. As a result, the pieces of flatware lay flat in the pan, one piece on top of another, and crowded together. The pre-soak water soon becomes cold, even when hot water has been used, and laden with food soil. Pre-soaking under these conditions has only marginal value, and adds little, if anything, to the cleaning effort.
After pre-soaking, the flatware is removed from the soak water and is loaded into baskets for placement in the dishwashing machine, wherein the flatware is subjected to a wash and rinse cycle. Dishes, cups and glasses placed in the dishwashing machine are racked in such a manner as to receive the full benefit of the wash and rinse cycle; however, the flatware, because of the manner of loading, and the construction of the flatware baskets now used, have little chance to receive the same manner of good cleaning action.
It is usual practice for a bus-boy or dishwasher to put as many pieces of flatware as possible in the flatware basket, prior to placing the basket in the dishwashing machine. As a result, the flatware is closely packed together, spoons often nesting in other spoons and many areas of the pieces of flatware are not exposed to the cleaning force of the washing and rinse water. Close spacing of flatware is particularly a problem in the case of forks, as the design of the fork presents a unique problem in cleaning. Food soil often wedges between the tines of a fork, and is very difficult to remove.
Commercial dishwashing machines have both a wash and rinse cycle, and a good rinse is essential to remove the detergent wash water from the flatware. However, as it is usual, because of the design of the present flatware baskets, and the overloading by bus-boys or dishwashers, that the flatware is inadequately rinsed, unsightly detergent spots result on the flatware, on drying.
As the result of these unsightly spots, it is usual practice for wetting agents to be used in the dishwashing machine; however, for these agents to provide maximum benefit to the appearance of the flatware, the flatware must not only be in an upright position, but each piece must be individually and entirely exposed. Where flatware is crowded together, and spoons are nested in one another, the benefit of the wetting agents is naturally somewhat limited.
A further problem caused by the design flatware baskets presently used in washing flatware results from the fact that the basket compartments are too deep. Thus, when the flatware is placed in the receptacles of the basket, only the ends of the flatware are exposed, and the flatware can only be removed by taking a hold of the exposed ends. If the flatware has been placed handle-down in the receptacle, the eating or business end of the flatware must then necessarily be grasped by hand to remove the flatware from the basket. Thus, this presents an unsatisfactory condition, as the flatware which has just been washed is now contaminated by touching. That this actually occurs is often seen on knife blades and spoons by the unsightly finger marks that result.